"The Old Celts knew, that of all the sounds that mankind could make,
only the pipes could be heard in both worlds."

Pop's opt-in email list

Your email will never be sold, and I won't burden you with tons of meaningless drivel (just an occasional spoonful!) I will keep you posted a couple times a month on upcoming shows, music releases,and the occasional free download for fan feedback! I look forward to writing you.
Mike "Pops" McGee

Friday, September 05, 2008

I was watching the ads appearing on the side bar here and I saw one for”learn2pipe” a DVD tutorial by Pipe Major R Pinkman. Well… I decided to give it a try.

It was without doubt the best $40.00 I have ever spent! Mr. Pinkman’s course is complete, sufficiently detailed, and VERY well illustrated. He walks you through the very basics of holding the chanter properly, finger positions on the chanter, the scale, grace notes, doublings, triplings, tachums, grips or leumluaths and toarluaths and includes a nice repertoire of tunes. Naturally you must provide the effort to practice.

Now, will this make you a piper in 48 hours? Absolutely not! But, if you live far from a qualified instructor as I have for most of my life, then this is the very best alternative I have ever seen and I must tell you I have tried many. If you treat each lesson as a private tutoring session, practicing diligently each week in between, you will amaze yourself. In addition you will not spend much of your life as I have “un-learning” mistakes.

This package can be ordered at learn2pipe.com. Do not be put off by the basic nature of Mr. Pinkman’s web page; after all it is his teaching you are buying not his skill as a graphic designer. As soon as you make payment, you will be directed to a website where you can download the entire course onto your computer or play it directly from the Web site. The DVDs will arrive by mail with in a few days.

If you want to learn to pipe and for whatever reason can not get a qualified instructor then you must get this course. It is just that good!

El Zaribah Shrine Bagpiper

"tis himself."

I ply my craft in the Great Southwestern Desert,as my Little Brother says "midway between sunrise over the haunted Superstition Mnts. and sunset over the desolate White Tank range. For the less poetic that would be Phoenix, Arizona. Ah, but where do I live? High on the Colorado Plateau. Deep with in an ancient forest that turned to stone millions of years ago!
I play bagpipes. Perhaps some still, starry, desert evening you've heard my piping on the soft, warm night air of the vast desert?
You'll know it's me, by the sparing use of ornamentation. I just refuse to guild the lilly. But that's OK! You see, the secret to piping is to play for yourself. If you're having fun, those around you will too. As long as the drones and chanter fill your heart and the hearts of those around you with mirth and joy, the ruckus you raise will be your own reward! Believe me when I tell you that nothing can raise a ruckus like a stand of bagpipes. No wonder the Saxons declared them an "instrument of war"!